WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES MAY 21, 2020 13
BY PHILLIP ENG
Doctors. Nurses. Transportation workers.
Grocery and pharmacy staff . And
you.
What do we all have in common? Yes, some
of us are heroes and others of us mere mortals,
but we all can do our part in overcoming
this crisis.
We know that there’s no proven playbook
for this. But we also know there are things
that work: Washing your hands. Using hand
sanitizer. Staying home unless you absolutely
need to travel. Feeling sick? Stay home.
Now we need everyone to go one step further:
When you’re on public transportation,
you must wear a face covering.
That’s an order from the Governor. It’s
important. It can be a mask, a bandana, a
scarf. Whatever kind of cloth it is, it must
cover your mouth and nose and it must stay
there for the entire duration of your trip. If
you’re at a station or on a platform, wear it
there, too.
As we all prepare for what’s to come next,
we must embrace this necessary part of public
health and safety. And it’s up to all of us to
play our part.
For the LIRR, that means keeping up with
increased disinfecting of our stations – right
now we’re getting to each of our 124 stations
twice per day. Train cars are also getting
increased attention: round-the-clock eff orts
are getting to our entire fl eet of more than
1,000 train cars each day.
We do this to meet our goal of giving riders
as much comfort as possible when they need
to use our system to get to their jobs. This is a
dynamic situation, and we’ve all been forced
to be dynamic along with it.
But we can’t be reckless, and we can’t let
the virus get ahead again. It’s more important
than ever that we show and share compassion
for one another. While we all may be aff ected
by this virus in diff erent ways, we must remember
the importance of community and
watch out for each other.
Long Island, NYC, and the entire region
will undoubtedly be changed – but we’re
doing everything we can to ensure that our
customers and employees feel safe when it’s
time to reopen. While we come up with a
blueprint for future service, we ask that you
continue to do your part by wearing a mask
and practicing good hygiene. The future of
our region depends on how we act. Let’s do
so responsibly and with care.
During times of great stress and uncertainty,
we all need to practice more patience
with ourselves and with each other. But as
we see the curve continue to fl atten, this
gives me confidence that New York will
rebound – stronger and more resilient than
ever before.
Phillip Eng is president of the Long Island
Rail Road.
ATTENTION HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS!
As the coronavirus epidemic rages on across New York City,
we want to hear from the health care workers on the front
lives battling to save lives.
Our reporters want to speak with health care workers about
what they’ve witnessed in emergency rooms, medical centers,
nursing homes and other facilities where lives hang in the balance
every day. We want to tell their stories to show New York City
their courage but also the severity of the conditions they work
in — and the situation they face.
We welcome submissions at any time from active New York City
physicians, nurses, lab technicians and other health care workers
who are helping to treat patients.
Email your information to Editor-in-Chief Zach Gewelb, and a
reporter may contact you soon.
Your information will be held confidentially; your name will
be used only with your express permission, or withheld upon
request.
By submitting, you understand that the content must not be false,
defamatory, misleading or hateful, or infringe any copyright or any
other third party rights or otherwise be unlawful.
If we publish your content, we may include your name and
location.
SNAPS
A TRIP TO GANTRY PARK/HUNTERS POINT IN LIC
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY TOURGUIDEBUDDZ
Send us your photos of Queens
and you could see them online or in our paper!
To submit them to us, tag @qnsgram on Instagram,
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or email editorial@qns.com (subject: Queens Snaps).
OP-ED
Be a hero by wearing your
face mask in public
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